Entries in CBC Mission Trips
(75)

The CBC mission team and their Argentinian hosts in the airport. (Click to enlarge)Last November, a team of Charis Bible College staff and students from Colorado went to Argentina to minister to the people of Buenos Aires and Lujan. The trip was led by CBC Colorado Director, Gary Luecke, his wife Diane and CBC Intern, Annabelle Mintz. The trio escorted eleven second-year students to the mission field on the eastern coast of South America where they shared the unconditional love of God for twelve days. The team was hosted by full-time missionaries and CBC graduates, Joe and Nancy MacQueen, founders of Charis de Dios (Grace of God) Ministries in Buenos Aires.

Basílica de Nuestra Señora de Luján. Lujan is a highly religious city 35 miles west of Buenos Aires, known for its Catholic heritage.(Click to enlarge)This was a trip full of firsts; it was the first time that CBC had sent a mission team to Argentina, the first time many of the students had ever left the United States or North America, and it was the first time for many on the team to minister the Word of God in a public setting. Despite the newness of the experience, and the sense of anticipation and expectation, the team was welcomed by pastors and local believers as if they were already family. "It was just like being reunited with family we hadn't seen in a while—there was so much love we were overwhelmed. It made very real to me how those who are in Christ really are brothers and sisters, no matter how far apart we may be or how different our daily lives may be. Seeing such love flow between our students and the people of Argentina made me very proud to be a part of our family," said Annabelle.

Ministering to the children of Buenos Aires. (Click to enlarge)The CBC team arrived prepared to reach the community in a variety of ways including through children's ministry, performing gospel-centered skits, leading worship and teaching in local churches, and ministering through service in the community. The groups' main focus was to share the love of God in a tangible way. The students witnessed deaf ears opening, spines straightening, and people having their needs met, even when evangelizing and praying for people in the street where the language barrier could have been a hindrance.

The students had many opportunities to minister the Word, both inside the church and out. (Click to enlarge)At the very end of one of the church meetings held in Buenos Aires, the students performed a skit depicting Jesus' sacrifice on the cross and the reason for which He gave up his life. A woman entered the service at exactly the right time and was so moved by the presentation of Jesus that she accepted Him as her Savior. Visibly filled with joy and relief she began to share her story with the students. The woman had been walking down the street hopelessly depressed, planning to jump in front of an oncoming bus in an attempt to end her life. As she contemplated her end, she heard the music coming from the church, and she remembered receiving a flyer earlier in the day, hand-delivered, by a student, advertising a healing service at the church. CBC Director, Gary Luecke and several team members ministered to a local pastor. (Click to enlarge)"There is no doubt we were at the right place at the right time to see that woman's life saved and turned around," commented Annabelle.

Before the trip Gary sensed that if the team went to Buenos Aires with the intent to “love one another,” then they would accomplish a tremendous amount. He shared that impression with his team and they reaped the benefits. "Everywhere we went, we ministered with love and I believe as a result, people received from us. During the testimony time here at the school, a student said they counted at least 45 people who received instant manifestations as a result of the ministry from the team."

In December, CBC instructors, Peggy and Dr. Delron Shirley, led a CBC mission trip to the Dominican Republic. (Click to enlarge)On December 1, 2010 Dr. Delron Shirley, his wife Peggy and Charis Bible College (CBC) intern, Justin Knapp, led a group of twenty-three CBC second-year students on a missionary journey to the Dominican Republic. The Shirleys both serve as instructors at CBC in Colorado, and are the founders of Teach All Nations, a global missions ministry. Delron and Peggy have been leading short term mission trips since 1990, and have taken teams all over the world.

CBC second-year students form a line to shuttle food from storage to vehicles for community distributuion.(Click to enlarge)After delays in Denver caused the CBC students to miss a connecting flight in Miami, the group finally reached their destination, La Casa Grande missions base in Santiago, run by full-time missionaries Tim and Trena Johnson. The loss of a day at the outset of the trip forced the group to maximize their efforts during the remaining time in order to fulfill their scheduled commitments.

Students ministered to the crowds that gathered wherever they went.(Click to enlarge)Once on the mission field, the group split into several teams and they headed into the community. Some CBC students went into the public school system, and others went to a local barrio (a needy community within the city). In both cases the students were able to perform gospel-centered skits, share testimonies and offer opportunities for those in attendance to receive prayer.

The students ministered in various ways; here they distribute food in a local barrio. (Click to enlarge)A large portion of the students' time in Santiago revolved around food distribution to the poorest communities. Factory closures in the region have crippled the local economy, leaving many families in despair. Throughout the trip, the host churches where the students ministered were filled with needy families from within the surrounding villages. Each evangelistic outreach was organized so that only specifically invited families could attend. This was for the purpose of allowing the host church to follow up with those who responded to the Gospel and to be able to continue to assist the families in need.

The CBC students held a successful children's crusade. (Click to enlarge)Saturday was a busy, but fun and productive day for the students as they held two large events; a children's crusade and a pastors' conference. Rain threatened to make unpaved roads impassable in the morning hours, but thankfully it did not hinder attendance at either outreach. The overflowing crowd of children enjoyed the puppets, drama, juggling, candy, and of course the hugs and smiles from the students.

A young boy studies a gospel tract left by the CBC team. (Click to enlarge)The pastors' conference was attended by approximately three hundred pastors and leaders who enjoyed the students' ministry, as well as a review of Delron's book, Finally, My Brethren which has just been released in Spanish. After the teaching, the pastors and leaders were served a free lunch and given a basket of food to take home to their families, along with a free copy of Delron's book.

Whether the students were ministering in a church, a village, a public park, a public school, or even on an outdoor basket ball court, they were consistently well received. According to the Shirleys, each student received a new boldness and overcame personal fears. Children flocked around them as they ministered, and the adults were eager to fellowship with them despite the language barrier. A number of healings, many salvations and a couple deliverances were reported as a result of the mission team's efforts. It was a fantastic trip during which Jesus Christ was glorified.

The CBTC mission team spent thirty-two hours on the rails travelling to their mission field. (Click to enlarge)Last Spring, Mike Pickett, Co-Director of Charis Bible Training Center (CBTC) in St. Petersburg, Russia, and CBTC staff members Mark and Sara Van Frachen, two apprentice leaders, an interpreter and thirteen students, set out on a missionary trip to two different areas of Russia. The team went to Izhevsk, located southeast of St. Petersburg (thirty-two hours by train) and Nizhny Chelny in Tatarstan, which is approximately an hour and a half southwest of Izhevsk. The team’s contacts on the field were local pastors in Izhevsk and the surrounding villages, Svetlana Holina and Pastor Alexi.

CBTC students had the opportunity to teach and minister in a variety of environments. (Click to enlarge)The students made use of the many hours travelling by train between St. Petersburg and their mission field destination by practicing their teachings with each other. On a Russian train, the compartments are all open, and since the team was spread throughout the train car, many people were hearing the Gospel whether they wanted to or not!

“The students literally ministered day and night on this trip,” Mike said. "Every morning and afternoon they were ministering in the local Bible School and in the evenings would split into different teams and teach seminars in the city and in the surrounding villages. Students ministered through Word and worship. (Click to enlarge)Each and every student taught past our expectations, and brought such life to all who listened to them.”

Students witnessed people giving their hearts to the Lord and receiving the Holy Spirit each day as they ministered. At one village meeting a grandmother who attended received complete restoration of her hearing, and another woman was healed of cancer.

Some of the villages visited had as few as thirty residents. (Click to enlarge)One day, the teams ministered in a small village of only thirty residents, and fifteen of the residents attended the meeting. Three of those gave their lives to the Lord, and the Pastor of the village was very excited and encouraged. CBCT missionaries gave the people of the village books and resources to further their understanding of Jesus and their relationship with Him. The team left the area believing that the residents would continue to be transformed by the materials.

After a productive time of ministry in Izhevsk, the CBTC mission team moved on to another Republic of Russia, Tatarstan. Students saw Jesus-like results as people were set free from cancer and deafness. (Click to enlarge)This is where one alumnus from CBTC, Natasha Starikova is now living and ministering. She started a satellite Charis Bible School in her city, Nizhny Chelny, and now has sixteen students enrolled each of whom is being transformed by the Word. Natasha and the missionary students organized a meeting where the local church body gathered for an all day seminar. Mike said that the people literally sat with their mouths wide open in amazement at the Word that came forth from the students. They had never heard about the goodness of God. Natasha has reported that as a result of the team's teaching, many more people are now interested in joining the Bible School this coming fall.

It was a blessing for the team to continue to nurture the relationships with local leadership that had been established by teams from previous years. The transformation in the lives of those who studied and received from the materials left by other CBTC mission students was evident. Area pastors testified to the fact that the materials have really impacted the way they are teaching the Word to their congregations. The students made the most of every opportunity to minister. (Click to enlarge)Svetlana Holina, one of the team's main mission contacts, is now overseeing one hundred and twenty village churches connected with the main church. Her goal is to start a correspondence Bible School in each of the villages. Svetlana has also requested that Mike and Carrie bring their leadership school curriculum to Izhevsk. She said, “We as leaders don’t know how to lead others with the Grace message. We’ve only led from law and works and we want to learn how to lead differently.”

Mike and Carrie are encouraged by these results, and are in the process of making plans to be able to visit Izhevsk more often throughout the coming school year. Follow the Pickett’s progress and updates by visiting, www.equipmin.com.